Pipe-coupling.



EL E-UELLER, DECL O. B. Aj MUELLEE, EXEOUTORS.

PIPE UOUEJLNG.

AELETIOH FILED SEPT.10,198. 3i. meme@ Ba. ww.

Q SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. MUELLER, BEGD,

o. B. A. Mmmm, EXEOUTQRS.

PIPE GOUPLNG,

APPLIUJLTIOE' FIL ansmmlmm 1 u' d Einsame@ 31, 19m.

2 EEHETS-SHE3T 2.

MM @7M l l l l l UNITED' STATES OFFICE.

HENRY MUELLER, OF DECATR, ILLINOIS; ORA B. MUELLER AND ADOLPH MUEL- LER, EXECUTORS OF SAID HENRY MUELLER, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS '1"0 H. MUEL- LER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, ILLINOIS.

OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF PIPE-COUPLING.

Application filed September 10, 1908.

fel-red manner of carryingl out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact dcsci'iptiom terminating with claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to wat-er distribution, and more especially to detachable. pipe couplings; and its object is to produce a gasket for use between the extremities of pipe sections or members whose construction peimits it to be manually inserted in one of tliem so as to leave the hands of the operator free, and Whoseparts are so Shaped that in the approximation of the members the yielding portion of the gasket will ,be coinpressed longitudinally and distended outward if the. extremities are cut off hat or will be compressed both longitudinally and inward if one or both of said members have bores which flare to their extremities. The result in any event is that said yielding portion in its final positionwill securely seal the juncture between said extremities and may even be .dienten-ded outward to the cou` pling, While the employment of a thin sustainin ring extending through the bore of said yielding portion prevents its distortion inward which would restrict the capacity of said members. These objects are acconiplished, broadly speaking, by the use of a joint-ring of yielding Ametal such as lead, having a cylindrical bore, and having an exterior of any shape which is suitable for the purpose but preferably conical or silbstantially so if-one of the members hiis a flared extremity; associated with a sustaining ring of thin and stift' metal suoli as brass, substantially cylindrical throughout its length although itlmay be upset at one end if desired as explained below7 extending from said end throughout the bore of the joint-ring which latter is fitted frictioiially but slidably around it, and continued be- .yoiid the other'end thereof into a tubular lextension adapted to lit frictionally but slidably within the bore of one of saidv meinbers so that it may be manually inserted therein and will retain the gasket in posi.- tion while the hands of the operator are left Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

serial No. 452,448.

free to malte the connection. Several enibedinients of this general idea are illuseach other and all parts as they appear immediately before' the connection is made, and Fig. 4 shows the same with the parts in the position they occupy after -tlie connection is made; in like manner Figs. 5 and G show members whose extremities are differently shaped, respectively before and after t-lie connection is made, and in the four views just mentioned thelparts at the left and at the right differ slightly for the purpose of amplifying the illustration without multla plying the number of iguresn the drawinUs' Fifs. bearin the numeral 7 show D 7 2D Variations in the shape of joint-rings which all surround the sustaining ring at lone end of the latter, Figs. 8 show joint-rings of larger diameter elsewhere than at the lower extremity of the gasket, Figs. 9 show trun cated cones 4and Figs. 10 true cones-allv those at the left being of smaller diameter at the extremity ofthe gasket than elsewhere and allthose at the right inverted; Figs. 11 show the joint-ring as substantially flush with tlielower end of the sustaining ring, and how the latter may be upset or con'- tracted, and Figs. 12 show how the sustaining ring may be upset or distended outward. -.Broadly speaking, the numerals 4 and 7 are used hereinafter to designate the members which are to be' connected, 6 is the coupling, 8 is the soft joint-ring, and 9 the sustaining ring which together constitute the gasket; and these numerals with modifications are applied to like parts throughout all the figures of the drawings.

Specifically, the gasket as liest. seen in its simplest'forin in Figs. 1 Aand 2, comprises a sustaining ring or short piece of tubing 9, preferably of brass orl soine other stiff and not materially restrict thc passagevthrough the members to be connected; and around one end of said sustaining ring for about halt` of its length is frictionally but slidably fitted the cylindrical bore of a yielding jointring 8, preferably ot' lead or some other i 5 and i3 the flaring end of one member or vends ot' both obviously compress the-jointyielding and ductile nietal not elastic like rubber or siinilai' material.

reasons explained below that. in the manufacture of this gasket the joint-ring be E views the presence ot' the stittl sustaining ring extending through the bore of the .jointpressed or otherwise formed into shape around the sustaining ring 1n such manner that it will be held thereon with sufficient f friction to prevent its dislodgnicntor disordinary handling. but yet i sufliciently loose to permit it to slide upon the sustaining ring under pressure, and I consider it also important that the material l of the joint-ring be yielding as described As shown placei'i'ient under rather than tlexible orv elastic. in these views, the exterior of the joint-ring is struck nearly ona quarter circle so that as a whole it is substantiaily conical, but this shape is not necessary and modifications thereofl are explained below. As also shown in these views, the joint-ring is fitted upon the sustaining ring with the smaller end of the former substantially flush with one end ot" the latter although it iniglit project a trille vas shown at- 9", whereas the other orv larger end of the joint-ring is remote from the other end of thc sustaining ringr so that the latter forms an extension 9 which is truly cylindrical on its exterior and is adaptmay be employed with couplings ot a vaed to tit into the bore of one of the members l or T as shown in Figs. 3.and l do not limit myself to the. exact sizes. shapes, proportions, materials, or construction of these parts ot' the ing specilication and the struclcd substantially in accordance with thc j description just given-the members T and 4. in Figs. 3 and extremities, and

the right. Figs. 3 and 5 also show jointrings of four different cross sections, and the shape et' parts belore the connection is made; while Figs. 4 and show the shape g of parts after the connection is' made, the mation of members compressesthe jointcouplings (5 at the right of these views being l screwed up more tightly than-at the left. -both directions along upon'thc-sustaining Figs 't and (3 also show atthe. lelt how the l sustaining ring may be pushed slightly into I considei' iti important to the present invention for the inward, with perhaps a little distention outgasket, however, as the followextremities ot the coupling members are 'llat diagrammatic and may eren be moditied considerably views in the drawings will show that it is susceptible of unich variatioiiin details with- 5 4 being ciit otl' 'flat at their in Figs. 5 and t1 the member 7 being flared and the member -l llat at the, left and both having flared extremities at cut oll' llat the approximation of 'the ineinbers obvious-h"compresses the joint-ring lonl giiudinallr and eventually disends it outward to or nearly -to the coupling; in Figs.

ring' longitudinally and also diainetrically ward toward the coupling: and in all these ring, whatever the shape ot' the latter, re-

sists its expansion radially inward toward the axis which would obviously restrict the capacity of the boie of this gasket.

ln `inaking a connection, the gasket is put in place by manually inserting the extension 9 into the bore of oneoi the members, wherein it is heldv by friction which is preferably about the saine as the frictional lit of lthe joint-ring upon it. 'llie4 drawings show thisextension `as initially inserted into the lowerinost ineinberin Figs. 3 and 5, but that is not always necessaryas the friction should be such as to hohl it it inserted in the uppermost' of two members which are to be c hnnected. lt will be seen that a gasketof this construction increases the facility of manipulation. is adapted for use with inein- .bers haringbores otditl'erent size so long' as the extension tl will irictionally tit one ot' them. will work successfully whether their extremities are tlat. or tlared or both` and rieiy of shapes. lt is important to note.'I also. that while the joint-ring has been de-l scribed as preferably conical oi tapered. such shape is not at all necessary when, the

when one -or bolli are l'larcd, because it is the presence ot ilie sustaining ring and theapg proxiinatioln ol the extremities which produce the compression otI the wint-ring and its distenton so that in its tiiial position it substantially fills the. space where leakage' might occur. lt is important in the present instance to note, also, that the joint-ring shall fit frictionally and slidably (but not tightly) around the sustaining ring so that if the latter b'e pushed along in place as the connection is made it will slip through the joint-ring as shown at the right of Fig. G,

and so that in any event when the approxiring longitudinally it will slip' in probably ring without being distorted ont of shape by elinging thereto, and will eventually be In Figs.

ends, and 8a showing outer face.

irregular,

of the joint-ring` In Figs. T are shown various sections ot the joint-ring whose generic principle is that they all :i and at or approximately at one end of the supporting ring, The views 5 all show the radial outer edge ot the jointring dished at the right and cut otl' substantially flat at the let't, 7 being square,

'TV dovetailed, T dia-mond shapedv` and Td irregular.

8 are shown various sections wherein the diameter of the joint-ring is larger elsewhere than at that extremity which is flush with the sustaining ring, the views atthe right having some Hat sides or the outer side rounded,

. 8b angular, 8c rounded and beveled off at its extremity, and'Sd are-shaped.

In Figs. 9 are shown truncatefJl-cones, those at the right having their larger ends 20 and those at the left their smaller ends adjacent the extremity of the sustaining rino,I

' 9a showing a plain truncated cone, 9b showing one with a curved outer face, 9 with an irregular outer face, and 91 with a dished In Figs. 10 are shown true cones, re- `versed at right andleft as above described, 2102* showing a plain cone, 10b one with its outer face rounded, 10c having its outer face and 10ll hollow cones-plain on the left and' rounded on the right.

In Figs. 11 are shown how the sustaining ring might extend slightly beyond the correspondmgvextremity of the joint-ring as 35 at: 9", although true cones with rounded and `vflat faces are hereillustrated. 1la vshows the sustaining lring cylindrical throughout,

-11b shows it upset as by being compressed' radially inward at 91 beyond the extremity and llfshowsv it comressed radially inward to a greater extent at 92 so that some of its tapered portion stands within and is surrounded by a reduced extremity of the joint-ring S2 and i hence there will be considerable frictional resistance to the movement of the latter along on the sustaining ring toward its extension 9a. This end of the Vsustaining ring can be upset or compressed inward in this '50 manner to advantage where both extremities of the meeting members are cut off flat, as the reduced end ot the sustaining' ring assists the tapered exterior ot' the joint-ring which always acts to center the gasket as the members are approximated.

In Figs. 12 the corresponding end ot the sustaining ringr is shown upset by beingr cxpanded radially outward, lf2 showingr a plai: curved expansion as by spinning the 6o su .aining rin r at 925, 12" showing the spinning carried to such an extent as to produce a flange 0l, and 12"' showing-a bead 95. also i smaller end through the joint-ring o5 ring which could well be employed with an `Said applications outwardly expanded upset end, which latter probably more useful where the approaching extremity ol the adjacent member is flared as best seen in Fig. G. and the joint-ring could obviously not be dislodged easily from the end'ot the sustaining ring it' upset in this manner.

Other modifications iu the shape of the two parts constitutingr the gasket will suggest themselvesl to the manufacturer and may be adopted as the demands of the trade indicate, but as above stated I consider it essential that the, joint-ring lit frictionally and slidably around the suf-'taining ringl near one lend of the latter, while its other end be truly cylindrical exteriorly and fit.

frictionally and slidably into the bore of one of the members that are to be connected.

In other applications tiled by me. and bearing Serial Numbers 451,856 and #l5-1.544 Ihave illustrated and described complete pipe connections embodying practically the same general idea, but' differing from the present case in that in the former one of the members has a tiared lextremity and the joint-ring does not necessarily slide upon the sustaining ring, whereas in the latter both members are cut oit flat at their extremities and the parts may slide upon each other.

therefore contain variations in the form of the parts of the com-` plete pipe conneetion whereby the compres- 'sion of thejoint-ring is respectively longltudinal and radially inward or longitudinal and radially outward, whereas the present invention contains details relating to the gasket itselt' adapted for use with pipe sections o'f members having meeting extremities ot' a variety ot' sha-pes and sizes, and intended to titthem all.

What is claimed as new is:

l. As an artic-le of manufacture, a gasket comprising a yielding,r metallic joint-ring, and a stitl' sustainingring;r longer than the joint-ring and around which the latter is frictionally but slidably fitted,

2. As an article ot' manulaetm'e. a gasket comprising a joint-ring of soft metal, and a sustaining ring of Stitl" metal extending through and beyond one end ot the jointring, and around which the latter is slidably fitted.

As an article ol' nnuiufacture. a gasket' coml'irising a yielding metallic joint-ring having a substantially cylindrical bore, and a stitl' sustaining ring longer than the iointring and upon which ther bore. ot the latter is frictionally but sli lably tilted. i

fi. As an arliz-ie of manufacture. a gasket comprising a yielding metallic joint-ring smaller externally at one end than elsewhere. and a sustaining' ring extending' from the and bevond its other end, the joint-ring being' slidably littcd on the sustaining riuw.

Clt

- taining ring extending from a point substantially flush with .one end of the joint-ring,

throughoutits length wherein it fits frictionally but slidably, and beyond its other lend.

7. As an article of manufacture, 'a gasket comprising a yielding oint-ring, and a sustainig ring extending from a point beyond one end ofv the joint-ring, throughout its body, Ato a point substantially flush with its other end and there contracted slightly, for the purpose set forth.

S. As an article of manufacture. a gasket comprising a yielding joint-ring, and a sustaining ring extending from a point beyond one end of the joint-ring, throughout its body, to a point substantially flush with its other end and there contracted slightly, the joint-rin being frictionally fitted around the sustaining ring but slidable thereon under pressure, for the purpose set forth.

9. As an article ofmanufacture, a gasket comprising a yieldingljointmxng having a cylindrical bore reduced at one extremity, and a sustaining ring extending from -a point beyond the other extremity of the joint-ring, through the latter and contracted within the reduced portion thereof, Where` by the joint-ring is frictionally held on the sustaining ring, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my signature, this 22nd day of yAugust, A. D. 1908.

HENRY MUELLER;

.Witnesses:

E. BROWN, i JOHN L. WADDELL. 

